Along with the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, the Monster Manual is one of the three "core rulebooks" in most editions of the D&D game.
These monsters were later collected in the Rules Cyclopedia, which replaced higher-level the boxed sets, and the Creature Catalogue.
Games scholar Jaroslav Švelch saw the Monster Manual modeled after "medieval bestiaries, only with more precise figures": "Whereas medieval bestiaries attempted to situate unknown creatures within what was the known system of nature, games like Dungeons & Dragons created simulated natures of their own and populated them with creatures that followed their artificial laws and conditions.
"[1] The first publication bearing the title Monster Manual was written by Gary Gygax and published in 1977 as a 108-page book.
[7][8] Monster Manual was also reviewed by Don Turnbull who felt that "this manual deserves a place on every D&D enthusiast's bookshelf", and praised the explanatory text, stating that it "amplifies, where necessary, [the game statistics] and the result is the most comprehensive listing of D&D monsters you will find, presented in a clarity which is unfortunately all too rare in other sources.
"[3] Lawrence Schick, author of Heroic Worlds, commented that "As nothing is easier to design than new monsters, it has spawned a host of imitations.
"[2] Games journalist David M. Ewalt commented that the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual may have been a rush job, but its quality is undeniable.[...]
The Monster Manual succeeded not just as a game supplement but by elevating the D&D rule book to fetish object.
"[10] In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath called the amount and professionalism of the interior illustrations groundbreaking, saying "Sutherland is joined primarily by David Trampier, whose clean, precise lines often evoke the feel of medieval woodcuts.
RPGs take place in the theater of the mind, but the importance of finally seeing these creatures, often in tableau with unfortunate adventurers meeting their dooms, can't be overstated ... Monster Manual set the mold for other to follow [and] all embrace a standard of art and detail created here by Gygax and his collaborators.
"[11] Witwer et al. commented in their overview of the artwork of the game: "Collectively, the Monster Manual images became the canonical representations of these fantastic creatures for an entire generation, a modern bestiary that has served as an authoritative resource for countless subsequent fantasy games.
It introduced several popular monsters to the D&D game including drow, githyanki, githzerai, slaad, and death knights.
[2] Some of its contents were taken from various AD&D adventure modules, in particular quite a number from S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and a dozen new devils that had been first published in the pages of Dragon magazine.
Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams all contributed to the third edition Monster Manual.
According to Williams, "the first item on the agenda was combing through the game's twenty year collection of monsters, and deciding which ones were going into the book...
"[14] In 2001 Monster Manual won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Design of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement 2000.
[15] One reviewer for Pyramid called it "...an essential reference book, and it is a bargain..."[16] The next volumes, Monster Manual II and Fiend Folio were new monster-specific rulebooks.
[20] Monster Manual III was published in September 2004, and was designed by Rich Burlew, Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, Andrew J. Finch, Gwendolyn F.M.
We didn't want to give gamers a bunch of beasties they'd already seen, and we found several interesting monster niches to fill.
Kestrel, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Matthew Sernett, Eric Cagle, Andrew Finch, Christopher Lindsay, Kolja Raven Liquette, Chris Sims, Owen K.C.
[23] Monster Manual V was released in July 2007, with David Noonan as lead designer, and additional design by Creighton Broadhurst, Jason Bulmahn, David Chart, B. Matthew Conklin III, Jesse Decker, James "Grim" Desborough, Rob Heinsoo, Sterling Hershey, Tim Hitchcock, Luke Johnson, Nicholas Logue, Mike McArtor, Aaron Rosenberg, Robert J. Schwalb, Rodney Thompson, and Wil Upchurch.
All volumes of the Monster Vault are parts of the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials line of 4th edition D&D products.
[24] On the staggered release schedule, Jeremy Crawford wrote "our small team couldn’t finish the books at the same time and also ensure their high quality.
[27] In a review of Monster Manual in Black Gate, Scott Taylor said "In all, this is a very sharp book in the gaming 'Big Three' (Players Handbook, DMG, and MM), and anyone looking to take on the challenge of 5E will be happy with what they've invested in.